Warlock Takes a Wife
by Kitty O
Summary: How Merlin met his wife and how he told Arthur about the whole little "I'm a warlock" thing, irreverently punctuated with a line or two that are a parody of The Farmer in the Dell. AU after season 3. Future!Fic oneshot series. Order of series: A Normal Day in Camelot, Twins are Twice as Nice, A Mother's Tears, Warlock Takes a Wife, A Royal Favor


A/N: This is Hunith's story, also the story of how the news was finally broken to Arthur, and how Merlin met/got together with his wife, Katherine! (Yes, Katherine is a variation of Kitty. Someone suggested that I use myself as Merlin's wife, because of my story Rules and Regulations. So I sort of used my pen name.)

* * *

**The king takes the warlock; the king takes the warlock; heigh-ho the dairy-o, the king takes the warlock. **

**The warlock takes a wife; the warlock takes a wife; heigh-ho the dairy-o, the warlock takes a wife. **

**The wife saves the child; the wife saves the child; heigh-ho the dairy-o, the wife saves the child!**

**(Based off Tune and Lyrics of 'The Farmer in the Dell')**

Warlock Takes a Wife

Merlin yawned and stretched as he walked into his house, shrugging out of the robe he wore over his clothes for working.

"Good afternoon, Katherine," he greeted his wife, who was curled up on the couch (which doubled as a bed when there was company), her eyes glued to his magic book.

"Is it?" she asked absentmindedly.

He ambled over to her, bent down, and kissed her lightly on the lips as a way of greeting.

She didn't kiss back.

"Is dinner ready?" he asked.

"You're eating with King Arthur today, remember?"

"That's right." Merlin sat down next to her and tried to read over her shoulder. She moved to block his view.

Merlin spoke a protest but she ignored him, and he began to worry. Of course he was innocent—whatever it is he had done—but he felt nervous, like a scolded child. "Katherine," he said, "You've been acting weird since I came in."

"Oh."

"Why are you angry with me?" he asked slowly, wondering if the answer would come in the form of yelling.

"I'm trying not to yell at you," she responded coolly. "I had a very, very bad day."

He visibly relaxed. "Good."

Finally she turned and looked at him, one eyebrow raised.

"Not that you had a bad day. That you aren't mad at me. Because I didn't do anything, after all," he amended. "What make it a bad day, dear?"

"_Your_ daughter."

"Who, Lexi? Did you two have a misunder—?"

"No, the other one."

"Hunith? But you two get along so well!"

Katherine rolled her eyes. "She's mad at you, so she's been taking it out on me."

"Oh." Yes, Merlin had noticed that women tended to do that… Kind of like Katherine was doing right now. But, despite how it sometimes appeared, Merlin was not stupid, and so he didn't say that. "Why is she angry at me?"

"Ask her, why don't you? She's in the girls' room."

"I'm a little scared to," he tried to joke, but Katherine gave him such a look that he really _was _scared.

"Alright," said Katherine, "don't go in and talk to your daughter about how you hurt her feelings. That's fine. But when you come home tonight, _dear_, don't even try sleeping in our room. I'll leave the pillow on the couch."

"Whoa!" cried Merlin, backpedaling. "I didn't mean it! Honestly." When she didn't react, he said, "Katherine, don't you think that's overreacting?"

She shrugged and went back to her book. "I don't think you even want to see overreacting. And if you don't, you'll go talk to Hunith."

Merlin swallowed. Why were women such crazy creatures? "If I do, will you give me a hello kiss?"

He was watching her closely, so he saw her mouth twist into a small smile before she caught herself and forced her lips into a straight, disapproving line. "Perhaps," she said. "If you do a good job."

Merlin stood up and made his way to his daughters' room, leaving his wife reading on the couch, and knocked on the door. "Hun?" he called, making it sound like the first part of her name. This was what he had called her since she was a baby, and he was the last person to call her that still. People thought that when her parents said 'Hun' it sounded like the first part of 'Honey', and that was what stuck. Even the King and Queen called the teenaged girl 'Hon' or 'Honey', which really did sound funny.

"Go away, Dad," she replied, her voice strained.

"I came to apologize."

"Fine, I accept. Now go away."

Merlin was about to walk away (after all, she had accepted), but then he realized that this would not be quite good enough for Katherine, and he would still be in trouble with every woman above the age of ten in his household. So he knocked again. "Sweetie, please open up. I want to talk to you."

Silence.

"Hunith, you will open up this door. Now."

"Fine," he thought he heard her grumble from inside, and then there was a creaking sound as she got out of her bed. He listened to her soft footsteps as she approached the door, and then the sound of something being dragged away from the door. "Come in, Dad."

Merlin opened the door in time to see Hunith plop back down on her and Lexi's bed.

"Hey," he said softly, walking in and taking a seat on the end of her bed.

Hunith buried her head in her pillow. She was mad enough just to sit up and yell at her father until she was blue in the face, of course, but she controlled herself. Not because of any manners, but because she was smart enough to drag this out and milk it for what it was worth. As was true with any argument, the point was to have the upper hand and control the conversation.

"So I heard I'm in trouble with you."

"You could say that." Her voice was muffled.

After a moment, he tried saying, "Any chance you'll tell me what I did?"

"I think you probably know."

Something told him that he did, but, following the unspoken rule, she had to say it first. "It's easier for you to tell me."

She sat up. Her face was dry, and she wished she could conjure up tears like the little princess, Chloe. "Does the name Everett ring a bell?"

Merlin winced. "Isn't he a little friend of yours?"

"He was."

"Oh, what happened?"

She glared at him. "Don't you even pretend to be innocent,_ Father_. You scared him off on purpose, and you _know_ it!"

"Why would I do that?"

She lost it, and didn't even try to stop herself as she yelled, "HOW WOULD I KNOW?"

"Wow." He rubbed his ear and didn't meet his daughter's eyes. She looked so much like him that it was disconcerting to see that anger on her face… He never looked that angry, did he? He didn't think so, but Hunith had the temper that her mother was famous for. They would both be very calm in their anger, until suddenly, without warning, BOOM! Explosion. "Hunith, sweetie, I'm sorry."

"So you admit that you did try and scare him off! What, do you think I have boys lined up around the corner at my beck and call, Dad? You can't afford to threaten them like you did last night."

"You don't have a million boys dying to see you?" Merlin looked as if this were news to him. "Someone as beautiful as you?"

"Not funny." But she looked slightly amused.

"I'm not trying to be funny."

"Don't change the subject! The point is," she said with a glare, "that a lot of girls my age are getting _married_. No one even thinks about courting_ me_, and that is at least partly your fault!"

"Hun, that boy was not good enough for you… And, besides, I didn't threaten him; I just made him a little uncomfortable…"

"What was wrong with Everett? He's nice! And he's got a job!"

"He's dirty; he's not good at what he does…"

"That's unfair!"

"…And I've heard that he's a bit of a wolf."

Hunith froze. "You made that up," she mumbled.

Merlin shook his head solemnly. "I promise. It's the truth. That is why I didn't want him seeing you, really."

Hunith sighed and looked down at her cover. This was news to her, and not of the pleasant variety. Was what her father said true? Why didn't she know about that earlier?

Seeing that his daughter was not going to reply, Merlin said, "So am I forgiven for trying to protect you?"

"Do you realize," she said, her voice cold, "that if you mentioned this to me, I could've protected myself and not seen Everett in the first place?"

Merlin shrugged. "I didn't want to…er…"

"What? Didn't want to bug me with the news or something? Dad, do you realize how frustrating it is to have you trying to block off any marital prospects I may have?"

"I'm not ready for you to be married!" he said, horrified.

"So you just forbid me from seeing anyone in a roundabout way? Kind of forceful, don't you think?" Pouting, she added, "I bet you don't know how that feels."

Merlin couldn't help but chuckle. "I bet I do know how it feels to have someone who seems to be trying to keep you single, actually. I am the expert on forbidden love, my dear."

Hunith rolled her eyes. As she recalled, her father hadn't lived with his mother since he was a teenager, and had only known his own father for a short time. But of course she didn't bring that up… Balinor was a subject Merlin didn't care to go into with his children, and she accepted that. "Who was stopping you, King Arthur?" King Arthur seemed to stop Merlin _a lot… _He wasn't always very nice to the man who was his best friend, which was the reason that Lexi, Hunith's little sister, held such a grudge against the king. But Hunith, who was the oldest child in the Pendragon and Court Magician's households put together, knew that was the way King Arthur expressed his friendship, and both men liked it that way.

Merlin seemed to forget that Hunith was angry and leaned forward, tweaking her nose. "Exactly, my dear, you've got it."

"What?" Hunith thought back. She definitely did not remember this story… No, wait, hadn't her father been fond of a Druid once? (Hunith's mother, Katherine, hated that story, and didn't like it being told, but sometimes that character would pop up anyway, when someone told about how King Arthur drew a sword from a stone.) What had the Druid's name been again? "Is this about… that, uh… I mean, I didn't mean to bring up any memories that you…"

She blushed. Sure, she was mad at her father, but it was another unspoken rule, one that she had made up for herself: _Never bring up one of those memories that make Dad look like he's had all the air knocked out of him. _It wasn't always easy, but it was worth it because, irritating as her father could be, she loved him.

He shook his head. "No, I was talking about your mother."

"My mother?"

"Oh, yes, Arthur was vehemently against the marriage, even if he didn't say it in so many words."

"Why… why would he care who you married?"

"I think," said Katherine dryly from the doorway, "what your father is trying to say is that he just figured that Arthur would be rather averse to his manservant marrying a woman that he had sentenced to death."

Merlin chuckled. "Naturally he didn't approve whole-heartedly."

"Good to see someone got amusement out of that, Merlin."

"Okay, hold on," said Hunith, whose gaze was flickering between her parents as they spoke. "What are you two talking about? I do not know this story."

Katherine's eyes flickered gold as she spoke a few words and a chair from the other room came skidding into the room. She took it and brought it into the bedroom, then turned it to face the bed and sat down.

"You're getting better at that one," said Merlin with approval.

She ignored him and spoke to their daughter. "Surely you know that magic was once forbidden in Camelot?"

Naturally she knew that. Hunith knew all about magic; she'd learned everything there was to know about it, trying desperately to unlock the powers that she felt sure were holed up inside her. Being the family expert on all things magical (usage, history, theory, etc.) helped her to get over the humiliation of being the only person in the household of the_ most powerful warlock ever_ who didn't have any magic. "I know," she said.

"Hold on, Katherine," said Merlin, "I think this is my story to tell."

"Tell it, then," urged Hunith.

"I will only tell it," he bargained, "if you forgive me and we can be a big happy family again."

He crossed her arms, knowing that she was being bribed. Looking her father up and down, she at last said, "Do you promise to never pull a stunt like that without giving me some kind of warning and without having a very, very, very good reason?"

"Yes," he swore.

"Then I forgive you."

"Good."

"Now, tell me what happened. Is this about how you got together with Mum?" asked Hunith, leaning forward.

"Kind of." Merlin nodded, gave Katherine one last smile, and launched into the story.

\-_-BREAK-_-/

The thing was, Lancelot and Gwaine both thought that it was time for Arthur to know about his magic. Merlin disagreed.

"He hasn't yet realized that it isn't inherently evil," he would argue whenever either of the knights pressured him.

"Who better to tell him, mate?" asked Gwaine. "Besides, Gwen accepted it. Maybe he would too."

"That was different; Gwen had proof… I mean, I saved her life…"

"I think you are scared," Lancelot said.

"Of being burned to death? Slightly."

"There is no way he would have you executed," said Gwaine, who was leaning back in a chair in a way most un-knightly. "For one thing, if you were, I'd have to kill him myself."

"Watch yourself," warned Lancelot, who smiled at the near treason.

"You wouldn't?" quipped Gwaine.

"Of course not." At Gwaine's disbelieving look, he had grin and add, "But that isn't to say I'd stop you."

Gwaine laughed. "And Gwen wouldn't talk to him for a month, and little Ygraine would cry for her Uncle Merlin for days."

Merlin chuckled and continued to scrub at a rust stain on Arthur's breast plate. But he snuck a look at Lancelot, watching for any sign of pain at the mention of Arthur and Gwen. There was nothing; the smile didn't slip. "I'm glad that you would all be so upset, but I hardly think that guarantees my safety."

"Does it? He'd probably have to execute two of his best knights—"

"Three," corrected Merlin, thinking of Elyan.

"Three of his best knights and his wife for treason if he wanted to kill you... Which he wouldn't want to do in the first place."

"Can I get that in writing?" said Merlin calmly. "Look, don't you two have somewhere to be? Training or something? Whatever it is knights do."

Gwaine shook his head. "Nowhere to be. Though, hey, Lancelot, do you wanna stop by the tavern?"

"Not with you. I don't like riots."

"Merlin?"

"I'm doing chores."

"Then we have no where to be, nope."

Merlin sighed and gave his friends an exasperated look. "Okay, let's assume Arthur didn't have me executed. He'd probably still have to banish me, right? It's the law. For one thing, I don't want to leave my home, and for another, if I left, Arthur would be dead within the week."

"You sure put a lot of trust in us knights, don't you, Merlin?" said Gwaine, fingering a sword in the armory racks.

"Don't cut yourself on that," Merlin ordered him, which pretty much revealed just how much faith he had in that band of knights.

Gwaine threw his head back, laughed, and then with a sudden yelp he brought his hand to his mouth and sucked on his cut finger.

Merlin and Lancelot gave two very justified eye-rolls.

That's when Queen Guinevere walked into the room, her face twisted into an expression of worry.

Lancelot got to his feet, and Gwaine followed suit (his finger was still in his mouth), but Merlin just grinned at her cheerily and kept scrubbing at that armor.

"Merlin," she said quietly.

"Afternoon, Gwen," sang the manservant. "Where's Ygraine?"

"Taking a nap… Can I talk to you?"

He paused and put down his polishing cloth. "Is something wrong?"

She nodded. "Kind of."

Gwaine smiled lazily at Lancelot. "I bet Arthur did it. Hey, Lancelot, you still say you won't stop me?"

"Shut up, Gwaine," said Lancelot easily.

Merlin got to his feet, concerned, and followed her out of the room, shutting the door behind them. Lancelot and Gwaine watched, Lancelot anxious and Gwaine indifferent.

There was a pause.

Then Gwaine began the countdown. "Three… Two… One… Now."

The door banged open and Merlin flew in, his face white. He grabbed his polishing cloth, glanced at Lancelot and Gwaine, and said, "Remember, I want it in writing."

Then he ran out.

\-_-BREAK-_-/

Hunith, eyes glued to her father's face, looked disappointed when he stopped. "What happened?"

Merlin looked at his wife. "I think your mother should tell her side."

Katherine remarked, "Not like it's so much fun to tell. The day was – and don't _you_ use this expression, Hunith – hell."

"You think so well of me," inserted Merlin with a chuckle.

"Alright, I'll tell you briefly," agreed Katherine with an exasperated look at her husband.

\-_-BREAK-_-/

Katherine didn't live in Camelot, but she'd visited it, mostly to pick up supplies and such. She didn't come often, though, because Katherine was the prudent sort who did not enjoy taking her life into her own hands, and visiting the town was doing just that. After all, everyone with magic was to be executed, and though there hadn't been a burning or beheading for that reason in years, she had no interest in being the first.

Usually, her visits were once every other month, and all other times she either bought things off peddlers, made a longer trek to another market (she lived not far out from the borders of Camelot), or used what could be found on her own little farm that she ran with her sister.

Mentally checking off her list, she stopped by several market stalls and bargained ("For this? Come off it, even if I had that kind of money I wouldn't give in to that robbery!") for what she wanted, and then went by the physician's to ask for a remedy again. Arm and leg pains were keeping her sister, Hannah, up at night again. She was sorry that Gaius's handsome ward was not in. Pity; she enjoyed talking to the King's personal manservant.

The whole day went relatively quickly and pretty well. She got everything she needed; there was no disturbance; she drew no attention. By the end of the day, she was feeling good, smiling a little as she made her way out the gates and back home.

This just goes to show that life has perfect timing, because that of course is when something happened.

A horse stood in the street, hitched to a wagon, where its owner had gotten off a few moments ago. A child – male, about four years old with spiky, short blond hair – was playing near the horse, running around with a few chums of his. They were playing tag. Katherine had already noticed all of this, but saw the actual incident from the corner of her eye. A young girl shrieked and threw herself at the little boy, intent on catching him, and he rocketed backward, calling out playful taunts. But his eyes were on his little friend, and he wasn't watching where he was going.

He knocked into the horse's legs, still yelling.

The horse tossed its brown head a few times, spooked, and reared as the little boy lost his balance and fell to the ground. His friend stumbled backward, eyes wide.

Half the crowd froze to watch in horror.

Katherine gasped. She spun on one foot to face what was happening, the items in her arms cascading to the ground, some landing with a soft sound and others cracking on the stones of the ground. She didn't notice, her eyes riveted on the horse that was coming back down to earth with a child under its hooves.

"_Symud! Meddal!"_

Some force pushed against the petrified child, who found himself rolling out of harm's way, his head knocking painfully against the ground. The horse seemed to go in slow motion, descending slowly and hooves daintily touching the road as the panicked owner rushed to calm his animal.

Then it was over. There was silence. The boy on the ground was too startled to even cry, and the peasants in the crowd still stared at the empty spot where they had thought to see a boy's body. Ironically, the only one who was not spooked now was the horse.

No one, including Katherine, moved.

Then the boy's friend recovered herself and, wailing in terror, she lunged for the blond boy, wrapping her arms around him and clinging tightly. This seemed to break the spell that had fallen over the rest of the crowd, and as one they turned.

Every eye fell on the young woman surrounded by her bought goods, her legs apart, her blonde hair falling out of the bun at the nape of her neck and her coarse blue peasant frock moving a little in the slight breeze. Her eyes had returned to brown, but her arm was still outstretched and her mouth still open from the spell she had just cast.

She stared back at them, blinking in alarm herself.

_Fie! _

She turned and ran.

**The wife saves the child; the wife saves the child…**

\-_-BREAK-_-/

"That's when the bad day really started," Katherine finished up. "Naturally I was caught, though the guards were inept at the time. Seriously, thank goodness we started training them better… Anyway, it was actually the knights that got me, which is pathetic, because I mean, it's one fleeing girl and they actually had to bring out_ knights_…?"

Hunith sighed. Her mother was prone to do this; whenever she felt uncomfortable she would begin to criticize everything, just to have something to say.

Realizing that she was babbling, Katherine continued, "It was Sir Percival who caught me actually. He was very polite about the whole thing, so I assume he saw me save Jeremy…"

"Jeremy? That little boy was Jeremy, the blacksmith down the street? He's the best blacksmith around!" The most handsome too… Hunith knew most of the teenaged girls in town had their eye on him, and she was no exception. He only had about five years on her… maybe six…

"Naturally. You didn't think he was still a little boy who played at chasing his friends, did you? This was about eighteen years ago."

Hunith shrugged noncommittally.

Katherine continued, "Anyway, Sir Percival. Nice man, he kept apologizing and wasn't too rough with me…"

"…And he's been your favorite ever since," added Merlin with a look towards the ceiling.

A smile pulled at Katherine's lips. "So anyway, I was arrested. It was the same drill… They dump you in a cell – a _cold_ cell – for a few hours and let you fret over what's going to happen. Meanwhile the guards kind of give you the side looks, like they can't decide whether they should be still like statues or rude because you are a sorceress—"

"They better not have been rude!" interrupted Merlin.

"At last they decide they can't be rude because you're a woman, so they just stand there awkwardly. It's a very silent couple of hours." She paused. "Then you overhear a couple of whispered conversations and suddenly you've got until dawn before they behead you. Not my best day. And that's my whole story."

"It was good of you to save Jeremy," Hunith said.

Katherine waved it off. "It's okay; I'm glad I did." She smiled at Merlin. "All's well that ends well."

"I guess it's my turn again," said Merlin, picking up the story. "Gwen told me that Jeremy, who she knew from when she was just a serving girl, had run to her after his mother got finished fussing with him – which took forever – and told her that a magic woman who saved his life had been arrested in the square…"

\-_-BREAK-_-/

The thing was, the guards didn't want to let Merlin into the dungeon. They tried to keep him out, saying that the prisoner wasn't to be allowed any visitors…

Merlin ignored them. By the end of today, he figured that he might have to do a lot worse than brush aside a few zealous guards. He pushed right in, muttering under his breath, "'Arthur's ready, Merlin. Just tell him, Merlin. He'll understand, Merlin.' Yeah, sure, tell that to…" He kept grumbling, most of it addressed to Gwaine and Lancelot.

Then he gripped at the cold, hard bars, and called in softly, "Katherine? You in there?"

A figure on the floor moved, and a blonde head lifted. "Merlin? Is that you?" She stood up, brushing herself off. "How did you know I was in here?"

"I talked to Gaius; he said you came by today."

She nodded. "I thought I wasn't allowed visitors?"

"You aren't."

She blinked at him. "But…"

"But rules are made to be broken," he added with a shrug. "So you never told me you had magic."

She walked forward and pressed against the bars. "You don't sound very surprised though."

"Well, I figured you did, but," he added with a small smile, "I figured you were smart enough not to get caught."

This conversation was bizarrely normal for such dire circumstances, and they both knew it. With a deep breath, she asked him, "I know it's a lot to ask, but do you think you could tell my sister, Hannah, what happened? She'll think I've been kidnapped or something when I haven't returned…"

Merlin shook his head. "There's no need; you will go home to her."

"What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously.

"I mean that you'll get out if I have to break you out myself," promised Merlin. "Too many innocent magic-users die. And if I don't get you out… Then you're going to want someone else to carry that message, anyway."

Her eyebrows drew together. "What is it you mean by that…? Merlin? Merlin!" But Merlin had already pulled back from the bars and run away, leaving her pressed up against the bars as though trying to slip through, calling his name with increasing desperation. She had a growing, sinking feeling that she knew exactly what he meant by that last sentence, and it scared her.

\-_-BREAK-_-/

So Merlin could've planned this better.

Instead of thinking anything through, he just rushed right into the throne room (thankfully empty except for Gwen, Arthur, two guards, and Sir Elyan) and blurted out, "Have you lost your mind?"

Arthur stared. "I beg your pardon?" he said, but you could tell by the tone of his voice that he wasn't begging anything. He stood up, the crown on his head glittering in the light.

Merlin was neither impressed nor intimidated. He drew himself up taller and looked up (as Arthur was on a raised platform, this was necessary). "You are seriously going to arrest and execute a girl for saving a boy's life?"

Arthur looked unaffected. "Merlin, you need to stop getting involved in things you do not understand."

Merlin shot Gwen a look, but she just shifted uncomfortably.

"Don't understand? What is there to understand?"

"Magic is forbidden in Camelot," pointed out Arthur coldly. "It is evil."

Merlin rolled his eyes expressively. "Oh, please, Arthur. Don't you start that rant too. There's no way you seriously believe that. And if you do, _you're_ the idiot, because most everyone else has accepted that this is not the truth."

Arthur was offended now, and Merlin could see it. Usually Merlin kept his complaints private. "I don't think you realize that you are talking to the King, Merlin, and this is out of line!"

Merlin took a breath, trying to control himself. He glanced at the floor, collecting his thoughts, and at last met Arthur's eyes again. "Am I? Because from where I stand, it looks like I'm still talking to that headstrong prat Arthur that has a lot of growing up to do."

Gwen hid a smile, and Arthur gawked at his manservant.

"Merlin… you have never said this before."

"I never needed to before, Arthur. I thought you were starting to see some of the good magic could do."

"I…"

Sir Elyan met his sister's eyes and smiled.

"I thought you were going to realize it by yourself any day now, but I can't let you kill a girl who just saved the life of a little boy. Jeremy doesn't look much like he's been touched by something dark and evil, does he?"

Arthur looked embarrassed.

"And sure, I could just help her escape, but it's about time you were straightened out, you prat!"

"Merlin," said Arthur, who hated to admit he was wrong and would go to great lengths to avoid it, coldly. "You speak treason."

Merlin met his eyes, and for just a moment, there was silence.

Then the manservant through his head back and laughed. It was a long, deep laugh, and it scared Arthur slightly because it held no mirth. Gwen heard it and moaned, putting her head in her hands. Sir Elyan put his hand on his sword and wished for Gwaine and Lancelot.

"No, you want to hear me speak treason? Okay, how about this! Not only can magic be a tool for good, but someone can be born with it. I've been making objects fly about the room since I was born. There are prophecies about me. Arthur, I don't know how you missed this, you fool, but I am a warlock!"

"…_What_?"

"I. Am. A. _Warlock_!"

"Prove it, then." Arthur didn't believe him.

So he did. Merlin stretched out his hand, his eyes turning a dramatic gold, and calmly hissed, _"Dewch!"_ Gwen's crown came off of her head and into his waiting hand in a second. Then, without even saying an incantation, he tossed the crown back towards her and let it fall gently into her head, perfectly situated in her dark curls.

"Is that proof enough?"

Silence fell, punctuated only be the short gasps of breath that everyone in the room was taking. Tension made the air seem electric.

\-_-BREAK-_-/

Hunith put her head back and laughed, shaking her head. "Wow, Dad, that was tactful."

Merlin grinned ruefully. "I was angry."

"And you… just…" She was laughing helplessly by now. "Oh, what I wouldn't have given to see King Arthur's face!"

Katherine nodded. "You and me both."

Hunith covered her mouth and waved her hand. "Please, Dad, continue."

\-_-BREAK-_-/

The guards drew their swords, and Gwen got to her feet, distantly glad that Ygraine was still taking a nap.

"_You never told me this?" _Arthur's voice went high-pitched with fury, his face going red. _"You are a warlock and you never told me?"_

Merlin nodded, nervous now that the words had been spoken. He couldn't take them back. He hoped Katherine appreciated this. At least it was a good sign that he wasn't upset about the magic… Just the lies.

"You worthless servant!" yelled Arthur, yanking his sword from his sheath.

Wait, did Merlin say it was good sign?

"Arthur," warned Gwen, "control yourself."

Arthur looked at her in disbelief. "You are taking this very calmly!"

"I…"

"You knew?"

"Well, yes, dear. He saved my life."

"And yours, too," added Elyan, stepping forward. "Many times."

Arthur was mad enough to spit ink. Merlin cowered back, glad that gaze was not directed at him. "You knew too? Who else?"

Gwen looked at her hands, blushing. "Well, let me put it this way… If you want to execute all accomplices, you may be short a good many of your best knights."

Arthur looked back at Merlin, who shrugged helplessly. "I'm sorry, Arthur. I wanted to tell you, but you stubbornly insisted that magic was evil…" He wasn't angry anymore, but rather ashamed.

"And I don't suppose," hollered Arthur, "that you considered that the opinion of my best friends and wife _might change my opinion_?"

"Er… it may have crossed my mind."

Arthur stepped off the raised platform, dropping his sword behind him. "Merlin."

"Sire."

"I am going to kill you."

Merlin ducked the first punch. Gwen began to berate Arthur at the top of her lungs and Elyan considered protecting the warlock. Merlin could've used magic, of course…but that would hardly calm Arthur down.

"Seriously, I am."

Merlin turned and ran. Arthur chased him.

The guards made to stop the warlock, but Gwen waved them away, chasing after her husband. Elyan kept his hand on his sword and followed.

This was the crazy parade that Gwaine and Lancelot saw running down the hall, and Gwaine called out, "Merlin, mate, what'd you do?"

"He's crazy! Help!" And then Merlin was out of sight.

"YOU PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A WARLOCK!" And then Arthur was out of sight.

"Merlin told him!" And then Gwen had passed them up.

"This could be fun, come on!" And then they lost sight of Elyan.

Gwaine and Lancelot looked at each other and grinned. Then they chased after the group, Gwaine giving a war cry all throughout the upper town of Camelot.

In the cells, Katherine heard the screaming and, nervous, rushed to the window. She could see the whole ridiculous train as it barreled through the town, leaving gaping villagers in their wake.

Merlin ran past, breezily calling back encouragement to the king. The king chased the servant, occasionally spouting death threats that he _almost_ looked like he meant. The queen chased the king, warning him that she'll never speak to him again if he doesn't calm down. Her brother, Sir Elyan, came right after, looking serious and intent. Sir Lancelot came then, grinning. Gwaine was last, calling and whooping and basically causing a ruckus.

From behind her she heard Sir Percival swear. "What in the world?"

She told him what was happening. "King Arthur is trying desperately to catch his manservant so he can carry out some death threats," she supplied. "And his Queen and several of his best knights are following after."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine." But she had a sneaking suspicion that when Merlin said he wasn't going to let her get executed, he meant it.

**The king takes the warlock; the king takes the warlock…**

\-_-BREAK-_-/

Hunith managed to smother her laughter long enough to ask, "Well, what happened?"

"Oh, he caught up to me. He'd have beaten me up if Gwaine hadn't stepped in. Then we had a screaming session that lasted until both of us had to speak in whispers, and I told him everything at the top of my lungs. He still wanted to banish me, you know, for the sake of tradition, but I think Gwaine, Lancelot, and Elyan all threatened to go with me."

"Gwen threatened to leave, too," said Katherine with a laugh. "She told me later that she told Arthur to swallow his pride and man up. Poor King Arthur didn't get much sympathy for someone who had that kind of news sprung on him suddenly."

Merlin waved that away. "Gwen gave him plenty of sympathy after we left; she just didn't want him to kill me."

"What happened with you, Mum?"

"Well, I was released, and no one was told. Arthur spent the next year or so working away at the laws against sorcery. First he lessened the penalty, and then he didn't penalize those who were born with it but didn't use it… It was a long time in the making, and it took longer than it had to because Arthur was distracted…" She stopped and looked sorry.

Hunith, who really did know her history, nodded solemnly. That was when the little princess died.

"But that's when your father and I began seeing each other. He also was a sort of mentor, as his magic was much more developed than mine. King Arthur gave him the right to practice his magic freely for a wedding present, I believe."

Hunith smiled. "That's sweet."

"And ten months later he gave him the title of Court Sorcerer—"

"Court Warlock," corrected Merlin, though the terms were interchangeable.

"—when you were born."

"And that's the end of the story," Merlin said. "So, did you like it?"

Hunith nodded, stood, and gave her father a hug. "Yes. And you are forgiven as long as you keep your promise."

Merlin chuckled. "You're a smart one, Hun. I can't make you forget a thing."

"Never."

"You run along," her mother told her, "and find your sister and brother. It's time to eat."

Hunith nodded, always happy to help, and scampered from the room, Everett being unimportant to her now. He had seemed a bit of a wolf, anyway…

**The warlock takes a wife; the warlock takes a wife…**

\-_-BREAK-_-/

In the room, Merlin smiled and took his wife's hand. "I sure am glad Arthur didn't execute you that day."

"Or banish you," she joked gently. "After all, half of Camelot would have left with you."

"So I talked to her, like I promised. Did I do good?"

By way of answer, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him forward, and she gave him that hello kiss.

**Heigh-ho the dairy-o, the warlock takes a wife!**

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading. This is the longest chapter I've ever written for fanfiction, and I hope you enjoyed it! Please review; it is my birthday after all! Because it is so long, it was hard for me to catch my mistakes. Please excuse them. If you review and point out any mistakes or give advice, I'll fix it, thanks!


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